I have been trying to post this, but I'm having some problems with my
server. Sorry, if I'm a little behind.

>1. How do you determine what to teach in your classroom?>2. If you could teach only 3 things (ideas/concepts) to kids in a year,>what would those be?>3. What are the "essential" ideas worth teaching/knowing in art?

What to teach -
I pretty much determine what I teach. We have no art curriculum in our
district (we are in the process of writing one). Since I am in Elementary,
I try not to repeat specific projects too often. I use a thematic approach
and some themes are repeated (Masks, Monsters, & Myths and African Art)
yearly, but the specific content varies from year to year. I use DBAE
approach and also try to get all the elements and principles in there. I
plan my themes/projects out at the beginning of the year for the entire
school term.

Three things -
1) Everything and everybody is connected in someway. Art helps make those
connections.
2) There is no such thing as one right answer in art (life either, for
that matter), there are many right answers.
3) Everyone has something to say and everyone expresses it differently.
We have to have understanding before we can make judgements.

Essentials -
Art is a form of communciation and reflects culture and society. Art
exists in many forms.

Craig, neat idea for a survey. What are you going to do with the results?
I would really like to see them.